Eron Kiiza has called for prayers for missing Ugandan activist Sam Mugumya, citing witness accounts presented before the High Court in a case challenging his alleged detention.
In a statement reacting to renewed attention surrounding footage purportedly showing Mugumya, the lawyer said witnesses had provided accounts placing the activist at a military or Special Forces Command (SFC) detention facility in Kasenyi, Wakiso District.
Kiiza said the testimonies had been presented before the High Court of Uganda's Civil Division, presided over by Justice Simon Peter Kinobe.
“Pray for Sam Mugumya,” Kiiza said, while alleging that witnesses who had seen the activist reported that he was being held at the facility.
According to the lawyer, the witnesses further alleged that Mugumya had been subjected to severe treatment while in detention and had “nearly been tortured to death”.
Kiiza did not provide additional details in the statement about the identities of the witnesses or when they allegedly saw Mugumya. The claims also remain allegations and have not been independently verified.
The lawyer urged the Judiciary to intervene in the case, arguing that Mugumya should be released if he is being held without lawful authority.
“It behoves the Judiciary to order his release from this illegal, incommunicado and arbitrary detention,” Kiiza said.
His remarks come as renewed attention has been drawn to video footage purportedly showing Mugumya walking with difficulty inside what has been described as a security facility. The footage has circulated widely online, although the identity of the person shown and the location where it was recorded have not been independently established.
Mugumya has been missing since August 2025 after he was reportedly abducted in Mbarara. His disappearance has since prompted legal and political concerns, with his relatives, lawyers and opposition figures seeking information about his whereabouts.
Kiiza also criticised what he described as the continued use of enforced disappearance in Uganda, saying citizens were being denied the protection of the law.
“It is deplorable that Ugandans continue to be subjected to enforced disappearance and stripped of the protection of the law,” he said.